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Cove Legal Racing has selected Australian cricketing superstar Brad Hogg in their 2017 TOMR Team. With a mix of exuberance and extraordinary skills “Hoggy” has spun his way into Australian cricketing folklore by his virtue of being able to take wickets at crucial points in big games. How that athleticism and energy translates to cycling will be of great interest in November, we can almost hear the chants of “Hoggy, Hoggy” on The Mur de Hay. Brad was recently announced as an Ambassador for Lifeline and Cove Legal has supported Youth Focus for many years, so the CLR team will be also be riding this year to help increase awareness of mental health issues.

It’s probably the worst kept secret in cycling, but Marianne Vos is returning to the 2017 Tour of Margaret River with the whole of her WM3 Pro Cycling Team (previously Rabo-Liv). All eleven riders along with four staff will be heading down under in early November for a training camp and to participate in VOS MAX and TOMR. In addition to Marianne, the team includes several riders who are champions in their own right, Riejanne Markus, Anouska Koster, Lauren Kitchen, Kasia Niewiadoma and star of the 2016 Tour, Moniek Tenniglo. “We are hoping to establish The Margaret River Region as a training base for  Pro Teams in the European Winter, so having one of the highest-profile women’s teams in the world coming to the region in 2017 is a huge step for us towards that objective,” said Event Director Rebecca Cotton. “Marianne is so much more than a great bike rider, her commitment to the development of cycling in general and women’s cycling specifically is the primary reason we have been able to secure the team for the 2017 Tour.”

Stay tuned for details of our VOS MAX Academy that will give young riders the opportunity to ride with the team in the lead-up to the Tour. Photo: Paul Foulonneau – GripGrab Media Crew

This year we are moving our headquarters and race village to Nannup for a special version of the Tour that we are calling “Tigerland”. The routes for the 2017 Tour will feature some of our absolute favourite roads in WA, all specially selected to be challenging, scenic and safe. The Tour begins with two days of riding commencing on Wednesday November 8th. These days will be an opportunity for participants to mix with our professional riders in a relaxed atmosphere and take in the scenery that is often missed in the hectic environment of racing. The three racing stages of the Tour will commence on Friday November 10th with a Team Time Trial that will classify teams into race groups for the rest of the Tour.

Numerous accommodation options exist in and around Nannup and we will be establishing our own camping village within the town. The townships of Margaret River, Busselton, Bridgetown, Balingup and Manjimup are all located within 40 minutes drive of race start lines and all have good options for accommodation as well.  Book early though, as we anticipate the whole region being sold out for the duration of the Tour. To help with planning, teams still have the option to secure a place in the 2017 Tour via the payment of a $200 deposit. Registrations will officially open on June 1st 2017 and close on July 1st 2017, or when the race is full. Please follow this link to secure a place for your team in the 2017 Tour.

Mobius Future Racing is set to kick start their campaign for the Road National Championships in January by sending a strong team to Western Australia to compete in the 2016 Satalyst Tour of the Margaret River.

The team is only in their second year of racing at a national level, however they are quickly showing themselves as one of the top ranked National Road Series teams and as a hub for young riders to develop. Based in NSW, Sydney, General Manager Tom Petty was looking forward to getting back to WA.

With two sponsors in WA, MFR are looking forward to spending some time riding and dining, but Tom made it clear they were there to race and start the process for a strong Summer. “It’ll be our first time heading down to the Margaret River, I think it’s a great place for a bike race, we’re excited about the stages and we’ll be doing our best to make it hard, but we’re also looking forward to spending some time in the region and sampling what’s on offer.”

“We’re bringing a good all-round team, we want to send a message early in the team time trial, it’s not often you get to race this discipline, and it’s a really good way of working a few things out. Sam Burston will lead the guys, he’s had a strong NRS season already, and spent some time this season in France showing what he’s capable of, he’s got the attitude and ability to step up to the pro ranks in 2017, but for now we’re just focusing on one race at a time. Alex Nazarewicz (picture) will be another rider that should be capable of impacting the sprint finishes of the Tour.”

MFR’s two WA based partners, Geraldton Bikes and 2V Net will also be coming down for the event. Geraldton Bikes owner Leighton Thomas is hoping cycling can be a big part of regional WA’s future “With the cycling sphere in Australia taking a lot of criticism of late about the number of race days, it’s great to see some positive action, it would be great to see more of the top teams coming here to race and build this event, I’m not sure many teams realise the positive influence they have on the local kids and families watching. WA is a great place and we want to keep spreading the importance of getting kids active and back outdoors, exploring on their bikes”

For West Australian teams looking to win group one of the Tour, it could be a case of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Photo courtesy of The Daily Tour